This Continental conference is to be held a week after the global celebrations of World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) in May. The first of such conventions designed to safeguard the hard-won media freedoms and safety of journalists on the continent was held in Arusha, Tanzania, in 2022. The African Media Convention brings together media experts, scholars, students, journalists, journalists’ unions and associations, editors, public and private sector, including cooperating partners from around the African continent and beyond.
The African Media Stakeholders’ Convention is a moment of reflection by African media stakeholders on the revolving trends that impede freedom of expression and freedom of the media, most significantly the persistent deterioration of these rights on the continent. It is also an opportunity to recognise those countries and institutions that promote freedom of expression as provided for in various African Union human rights instruments and to raise awareness among political actors on the benefits of a climate conducive to freedom of expression.
The convention offers an opportunity for participants to look at how freedom of expression can be mainstreamed in continental governance processes, and to benefit from key players in the African governance architecture. Learning lessons from the COVID19 pandemic, the convention also provides a window for African media to reflect on how their freedoms can be protected in future pandemics, which scientists warn will definitely come.
Currently, the African media landscape is a mixed picture of progress with certain areas still strangulated with obnoxious legislations that affront democracy and good governance. There are countries that have made commendable progress in line with the Declaration of Principles on Access to Information and Freedom of Expression in Africa and other human rights instruments, while there are still retrogressive laws in some countries that impede media freedom and freedom of expression, and do not conform with African and international standards.
Many of the retrogressive laws also pose serious challenges to women journalists. Limited press freedom exasperates existing gendered experiences of women journalists, including online violence, the gender pay gap, gendered allocation of roles and assignments that are considered to be political, dangerous, and others. Thus, women’s perspectives are often limited in news reporting on critical political and social issues.
Therefore, it is important that focused discussions and research is carried out to consider the specific impacts of limited press freedom on women journalists. In so doing, we must consider the variety of barriers they face that limits their entry and progression in the industry, and implications for them in terms of media freedom and freedom of expression. The use of the internet for journalistic work has been turned into a minefield, and women journalists are consistently targeted as a result of their work compared to their male counterparts.
Again, in this instance, it is important for the Africa Media Convention to take stock of positive practices and stories from the African continent and distribute them to all concerned stakeholders.
Notwithstanding the progress in parts of the continent, the safety and security of journalists is a considerable challenge, as, in some countries, they continue to be arbitrarily arrested, harassed, intimidated, forcefully detained under trumped-up charges and, in certain instances, killed with impunity, contrary to the provisions of the Declaration of Principles on Access to Information and Freedom of Expression in Africa. These and more are some of the issues that warrant African media stakeholders coming together yearly to find lasting solutions.
Zambia is one of the countries that have made efforts to create a conducive environment for the media to flourish. As such, it was chosen to host the Second African Media Stakeholders Convention. Read more
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